Many Japanese Chin owners want to share human foods with their furry friends. But Japanese Chins have different metabolic systems than ours, which is why what’s safe food for us may not be safe for our Japanese Chin.
Therefore, you need to know which fruits and vegetables are safe to feed your Japanese Chin. Below are the most common 37 fruits, vegetables & other snacks Japanese Chins can (and can’t) eat.
List of fruits Japanese Chins can or can’t eat
Wondering which fruits your Japanese Chin can eat or not? Here is a list of some common fruits your Japanese Chin can or can’t eat:
Apples
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat apples.
Apples are a great source of vitamins A and C, as well as fiber for your Japanese Chin. They’re also low in protein and fat, making them the perfect snack for senior Japanese Chins.
The seeds and core are best removed first. Avoid processed apples like applesauce and apple pie filling with added sugar.
Avocado
Avocados are not safe for your Japanese Chin to consume.
The reason avocado is toxic to Japanese Chins is that of a compound called persin, which can be found in all parts of the avocado plant except for the seed. This compound can cause stomach upset and vomiting and diarrhea in Japanese Chins.
Anyway, avocado oil is safe in small amounts.
Bananas
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat bananas. But they should be given as an occasional treat.
Bananas are a low-calorie snack for Japanese Chins, and they contain vitamins, biotin, fiber, and copper. They also have low cholesterol and are sodium free. But the high sugar content means they should be given as an occasional treat.
It’s important to remove the banana peel before giving it to your Japanese Chin because it is hard for them to digest. Also avoid processed bananas like banana chips or banana puddings that may contain added toxic ingredients.
Blackberry
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat blackberries.
Blackberries are low in calories and sugar, high in vitamins and minerals, and packed with antioxidants. Frozen or fresh, either is fine. However, we recommend you avoid processed blackberries like blackberry jam, jelly, blackberry-flavored ice cream, as they may contain harmful ingredients.
You should only feed your Japanese Chin two blackberries a day per 10 pounds of body weight.
Blueberry
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat blueberries. Blueberries are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—a great thing for your pup!
And Japanese Chins don’t need to eat a lot of them to get the benefits. 4-5 blueberries per 10 pounds of body weight should be fine.
Frozen blueberries are just as good as fresh ones, so buy them frozen if you want to save yourself some time. Dried berries are another good option if you’re looking to reduce waste or if you don’t have access to fresh or frozen ones. And mashed blueberries are safe too!
There’s just one catch: Japanese Chins shouldn’t eat processed versions of blueberries like blueberry muffins, blueberry yogurt, blueberry pie, or blueberry pancake because they may contain harmful additives (like xylitol) that can cause stomach upset in pups.
Cantaloupe
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat cantaloupe. In fact, it’s a great fruit for them to enjoy as it contains many nutrients they need.
Cantaloupe are low in calories but high in other nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C and beta carotene. It also contains fiber and moisture, which is beneficial for your Japanese Chin’s digestion and hydration.
However, remember that cantaloupe is also high in sugar, so give your Japanese Chin in moderation. To ensure the best experience for your pooch when eating cantaloupe, remove the rinds and seeds before feeding them to your Japanese Chin as these can be choking hazards if swallowed by accident.
Cherry
Japanese Chins can’t eat cherries.
Although the fleshy part around the seed is safe, the plant contains cyanide, which destroys cellular oxygen transport in your Japanese Chin. The symptoms of cyanide toxicity include dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and abnormal heart rate (tachycardia). Contact your vet if your Japanese Chin ate cherry.
Grapes
Grapes are very toxic to Japanese Chins. Even a small amount of grapes can cause sudden kidney failure in your Japanese Chin, so it’s important to keep them out of reach and educate your family about the danger. If you suspect your Japanese Chin ate grapes, seek veterinary help immediately.
Mango
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat mango. However, you should always be careful to remove the skin and pit before serving your Japanese Chin any fruit. The skin can be too tough for them to digest and the pit could cause choking if swallowed whole.
Mangoes contain four different vitamins: A, B6, C, and E that are beneficial to your Japanese Chin’s health, as well as potassium and fiber. They also contain antioxidants that will help prevent free radical damage in your pup’s body.
You should avoid processed mango products like mango sorbet or mango popsicles because they may contain harmful ingredients that could cause stomach upset or an allergic reaction in your Japanese Chin. Amounts vary depending on the size of your Japanese Chin, but one-quarter cup of fresh mango once a week is generally safe for most pooches!
Oranges
Can a Japanese Chin eat oranges?
Yes! Most Japanese Chins can eat oranges, but only in moderation. The peel, skin, pith and seeds are toxic to Japanese Chins, so be sure to remove them before giving your Japanese Chin any orange slices.
Oranges provide Vitamin C, potassium, fiber and moisture—all of which are good for your Japanese Chin’s health. However, too much fruit can cause diarrhea or vomiting in some Japanese Chins.
When giving your Japanese Chin an orange slice as a treat:
-Remove all traces of peel, skin and seeds
-Give only 1-2 sections of the fleshy part at one time
Peaches
Can Japanese Chins eat peaches? The short answer is yes.
Japanese Chins can eat peaches, but only in small amounts and only if they are cut up fresh or frozen. Peaches are high in fiber and vitamin A, which makes them a healthy snack for your Japanese Chin. However, it’s important to remove the pit before serving it to your Japanese Chin, as it contains cyanide. Also, avoid processed peaches like peach cobbler or peach pie, as they may contain harmful additives such as sugar, salt and preservatives.
Pears
Can Japanese Chins eat pears? Yes, they can! Pears are a great snack because they’re high in copper, vitamins C and K, and fiber. Eating the fruit can reduce the risk of having a stroke significantly. Just be sure to cut pears into bite-size chunks and remove the pit and seeds first, as the seeds contain traces of cyanide. Skip processed pears like canned pears as it may contain sugar syrups and other additives that aren’t good for your pup. One small slice is ok for most Japanese Chins as pears contain sugar.
Pineapples
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat pineapple! It’s a tasty treat that contains vitamins, minerals, and bromelain—a natural protein-digesting enzyme. Just make sure you remove the spiky skin and hard inner core before giving your Japanese Chin a couple of bites of raw pineapple. You don’t want your pup to accidentally inhale any of those dangerous spikes or choke on the tough core.
Avoid processed pineapples like canned pineapple or pineapple cake because they contain added harmful chemicals that can be harmful to your Japanese Chin’s digestive system.
Pumpkin
Yes, pure pumpkin itself is a great choice and a very healthy snack for Japanese Chins.
Pumpkin helps with your Japanese Chin’s skin and coat, which makes it a great supplement for Japanese Chins with allergies or dry skin. It also helps relieve diarrhea and constipation in Japanese Chins, so you can use it to treat those conditions as well.
It’s important to note that not all pumpkins are the same—you want 100% pure pumpkin, NOT even canned pumpkin.
If you want to give your Japanese Chin pumpkin, start with a teaspoon per day and monitor how it affects them.
Strawberry
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat strawberries.
Fresh or frozen, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fiber and water. They’re also low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
But always cut the strawberries into small pieces before serving them to your Japanese Chin. Remove the stems as well, since they can be chewed off and swallowed whole by your pet.
Watermelon
Yes, they can!
Watermelon is a great low calorie treat for your Japanese Chin. Just like humans, Japanese Chins need vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Watermelon is filled with lycopene, a compound that helps to fight cancer and contains antioxidants that can help prevent heart disease. If you’re worried about your Japanese Chin’s weight, you’ll also be happy to know watermelon contains water—and lots of it!
The only part of the watermelon that’s safe for Japanese Chins to eat is the flesh. Cut it into small chunks and remove seeds, rinds and skin before feeding it to your Japanese Chin. Half a cup of diced seedless and rind-free watermelon is enough per 10 pounds of body weight.
List of vegetable Japanese Chins can or can’t eat
Wondering which vegetables your Japanese Chin can eat or not? Here is a list of some vegetables your Japanese Chin can or can’t eat:
Broccoli
You can definitely feed your Japanese Chin broccoli. Broccoli contains Vitamin K, Vitamin C and minerals, as well as fiber. It is also a great source of protein and antioxidants.
The stems and florets are both safe to eat, either cooked or raw—just cut them into small pieces before serving to avoid choking hazards. Offer 1/4 (0.25) cup of broccoli per 10 pounds of body weight of your pup.
Cabbage
Can Japanese Chins eat cabbage? The answer is yes!
Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It also contains fiber and moisture. You can feed your Japanese Chin red, green or any color of cabbage—they are all safe and healthy for Japanese Chins. However, red cabbage is more nutritious than green cabbage because it has 10 times more vitamins than green cabbage.
Cabbage should be lightly cooked or roasted before feeding it to a Japanese Chin. This helps break down the fibers and make the nutrients easier to digest. Never season your Japanese Chin’s cabbage with oil or salt, so that your pup doesn’t get an upset stomach from excessive acidity or salt intake.
You should offer one bite of roasted cabbage per 10 pounds of body weight for your pup’s first serving of this vegetable.
Carrots
Yes, your Japanese Chin can eat carrots. In fact, they’re an excellent low-calorie treat that is rich in vitamins and minerals and fiber.
Raw or frozen carrots are fine, but if you choose to cook them, it’s best to boil them for about 5-10 minutes, then let them cool before serving. This will make them easier for your pup to digest.
Chop the carrots into smaller pieces so they’re easier for your Japanese Chin to chew if you choose raw or frozen carrots.
Do not give over 1 or 2 baby carrots at a time to an average-size pup.
Celery
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat celery. Celery is an excellent low-calorie treat that contains vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and high amounts of moisture and fiber. It’s also a great way to vary your Japanese Chin’s diet!
Celery sticks are okay for some large Japanese Chins, but you should always cut them into bite-sized pieces so they don’t get stuck in your Japanese Chin’s throat. The leaves of celery plants are also fine—as long as they’re organic and washed.
However, always start with one or two bite-sized pieces of celery before offering more; it’s rare but possible for your Japanese Chin to have an allergic reaction to it.
Cucumber
Can Japanese Chins eat cucumbers?
Yes! They are a great source of vitamins, minerals, moisture, and fiber. The cucumber seed and peels or skin are safe as long as they are organic. However, avoid processed cucumbers like cucumber pickles, as they may contain harmful additives like onions, garlic, salt, and sugar. Amount depends on the size of your Japanese Chin but only one or two pieces of cucumber are good enough for your Japanese Chin’s health.
Garlic
No, garlic is toxic to Japanese Chins.
It contains N-propyl disulfide, a sulfur compound that causes hemolysis leading to anemia. Other symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. Raw and cooked cloves and bulbs of garlic are toxic to your Japanese Chin. The toxic dose is 15 to 30 grams of garlic per kilogram of body weight. Contact the vet immediately if your Japanese Chin ate garlic.
Onions
You should never feed your Japanese Chin onions.
The reason is pretty simple: onions contain N-propyl disulfide, a sulfur compound that causes hemolysis (the breakdown of red blood cells) and anemia in Japanese Chins. If your Japanese Chin eats a toxic dose of onions—15 gm/kg of body weight—it can lead to acute liver failure and death.
This applies to all types of onions—red, white, yellow, whatever! All parts of the onion plant are toxic to Japanese Chins too, including the flesh, ring, leaves, juice and processed powders.
If you think your Japanese Chin has eaten some onion, contact your vet for advice on what else to do next.
Zucchini
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat zucchini.
Zucchini is a low calorie treat and full of vitamins and antioxidants. It’s also high in fiber and moisture that can help keep your pup’s digestive system running smoothly.
Plain raw, steamed, or cooked zucchini is safe for Japanese Chins to eat—however, raw zucchini provides more Vitamin A than cooked ones.
Start with just one or two small bites as an occasional treat for your Japanese Chin.
List of some other snacks Japanese Chins can or can’t eat
Wondering which snacks your Japanese Chin can eat or not? Here is a list of some snacks your Japanese Chin can or can’t eat:
Bacon
No, your Japanese Chin should not eat bacon. Bacon is an incredibly rich and fatty food with a high salt content. It also contains nitrates, which can be harmful to Japanese Chins.
Bacon can also cause pancreatitis in Japanese Chins, which is life-threatening. It can also cause gastric torsion, which is a twisting of the stomach lining that leads to vomiting and death.
Eating a large amount of cooked bacon at once can be fatal to your Japanese Chin. However, giving your Japanese Chin small amounts of cooked bacon infrequently should not cause harm. If you want to give your Japanese Chin small amounts of bacon, cook it first and make sure it’s well done, so there are no raw ingredients in it that could make your Japanese Chin sick if he eats too much at once.
Beef
Can Japanese Chins eat beef? Yes. Cooked, unseasoned lean beef is safe for Japanese Chins in small amounts unless your Japanese Chin is allergic to beef.
Beef is a great source of protein, as well as many important vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamin B12 which helps keep the nervous system healthy and supports a healthy metabolism. It also contains niacin (vitamin B3) which helps promote healthy skin and coat. Beef broth, beef stew, specialized Japanese Chin beef jerky without an excess amount of salt are also safe for your Japanese Chin.
Stay away from raw beef because it can cause food poisoning in humans, but larger raw beef bones can be a chew toy for your pooch. For a 10 pounds pooch, half a cup of kibble or 0.15 pound of ground beef is sufficient if you choose a raw diet.
Bread
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat bread.
However, only plain white and wheat bread is safe for Japanese Chins to eat. You should avoid processed bread like bread with yeast, as it can cause an upset stomach for Japanese Chins.
Bread doesn’t provide that much nutrients in your Japanese Chin, so offer them in moderation. A crust is fine, but a whole slice is too much for your Japanese Chin. Too much bread can cause bloating, diarrhea, and other tummy issues.
Cheese
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat cheese. A small amount of cheese is okay for your Japanese Chin to eat.
Cheese contains vitamins, fatty acids and proteins that are good for your Japanese Chin’s health. However, there are some types of cheese that are not safe for your Japanese Chin to eat.
Mozzarella, cottage, swiss and cheddar cheese are safer than other types of cheese because they contain less fat and sodium. Stay away from spicy cheeses like cheesecake, blue cheese, goat cheese and cream cheese.
The amount depends on the size of your Japanese Chin, but a few small bites are enough.
Chicken
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat chicken. Chicken is a good source of high quality protein, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Boneless cooked breast meat is the best option to feed your Japanese Chin as it contains less fat than other parts of the bird. However, avoid feeding your Japanese Chin chicken skin, as it contains a high amount of fat that can cause digestive issues and weight gain.
Depending on the size of your Japanese Chin, you will want to give them 1/8 to 1/6 cup of meat protein per 10 pounds of body weight per day if they are on a raw meat diet.
Chocolate
No, Japanese Chins can eat chocolate.
Chocolate contains both theobromine and caffeine, which are toxic to pups. The most toxic forms of chocolate are cocoa powder (most toxic), unsweetened baker’s chocolate, semisweet chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate—all of these forms contain enough theobromine to be lethal to Japanese Chins in large quantities. If your Japanese Chin ate a lot of these types of chocolate, contact your vet immediately.
Eggs
Yes, your Japanese Chin can eat eggs! They’re high in protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Well-cooked egg without seasoning with harmful ingredients is fine. Avoid raw eggs (raw eggs are harmful to Japanese Chins). Egg shells are fine as long as you grind them and have no sharp edges.
Fish
Can Japanese Chins eat fish?
Yes, they can! Fish is rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. But not all kinds of fish are safe for your Japanese Chin to eat.
Smaller, younger, wild-caught species like salmon, shrimp and tilapia are safe for your Japanese Chin. Avoid longer-lived fish species like tuna, shark and swordfish as they can contain heavy metals like mercury. Always clean them properly before feeding them to your Japanese Chin. Debone them and cook them, adding no harmful additives. Feeding your Japanese Chin one or two times per week in small controlled amounts is recommended.
Icecream
Can Japanese Chins eat ice cream?
The answer is no, not just because it tastes so good, but because ice cream contains a high amount of dairy products and sugar.
Japanese Chins can develop ice cream toxicity from eating ice cream that contains high amounts of dairy products, sugar, or both. Symptoms of ice cream toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and weakness. If you notice any of these symptoms after your Japanese Chin has eaten ice cream, seek veterinary help immediately.
Peanut butter
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat peanut butter in moderation. Peanut butter provides protein, vitamins and healthy fats, which makes it an excellent addition to your pup’s diet. However, make sure that the peanut butter you feed your Japanese Chin is pup safe without xylitol or chocolate. You can also avoid peanut butter pretzels as they contain three times more sodium than regular peanut butter.
The amount of peanut butter you give your Japanese Chin depends on their size, but start with a half teaspoon per day.
Popcorn
Can Japanese Chins eat popcorn?
The answer is a resounding yes! Plain, air-popped popcorn is safe for Japanese Chins to eat in small quantities as an occasional treat. Popped corn kernels actually contain several minerals important to Japanese Chins, like magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc, along with fiber and trace amounts of vitamins. This makes popcorn a relatively healthy snack for your pup.
However, there are some things you should know before giving your Japanese Chin any popcorn:
1) Avoid processed popcorn. Buttered popcorn or popcorn with other toppings like cheese or caramel are not safe for your Japanese Chin because they can contain large amounts of salt or sugar. These ingredients can cause vomiting or diarrhea in Japanese Chins who are sensitive to them.
2) Un-popped or partially popped kernels can be a choking hazard and may even cause damage to your Japanese Chin’s teeth if he tries to chew them up too quickly! If you want to give your pet some popcorn at home, it’s safest just to buy plain kernels at the store so that you can make sure they’re fully cooked before serving them up!
Turkey
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat turkey. Turkey is safe for Japanese Chins as long as you provide cooked lean, white, unseasoned and boneless turkey meat to your Japanese Chin. Turkey breast meat is the best option because it contains more protein than dark meat and very little fat. It also provides fatty acids, minerals and vitamins that your Japanese Chin needs.
Avoid turkey skin because it can cause GI upset and pancreatitis. Also avoid processed turkey because it may contain harmful ingredients.
The recommended amount of white meat turkey or dark meat turkey per 6 pounds body weight for your pooch is 10 grams of white meat or 7.5 grams of dark meat.
Yogurt
Yes, Japanese Chins can eat yogurt. Plain yogurt is a perfectly acceptable snack for Japanese Chins.
However, some Japanese Chins may have trouble digesting dairy products. If your Japanese Chin can digest it, the active bacteria in yogurt can help strengthen the digestive system. Plain yogurt is the best choice for your Japanese Chin.
Avoid any yogurts with added sugar and artificial sweeteners. One teaspoon of yogurt a day is fine for most Japanese Chins.